LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Lezlie Bullard was nominated by her principal, Jeannia Dykman.

Ms. Bullard has been teaching English for 20 years at various levels, including honors and Advanced Placement. She is also a coach and presenter on topics such as classroom management, creative lesson planning, curriculum development, standardized testing, special needs, IEP’s and learner assessment. Ms. Bullard has served on numerous leadership committees including principal advisory, campus improvement, student advocacy, and peer counseling. Ms. Bullard has also been involved with the AVID program and served as an AVID coordinator. Additionally, she served as Department Chair for many years in more than one school. Her leadership abilities, relationship-building skills, and master teacher qualities are undeniable.

Ms. Bullard was invited to counsel students and staff through the Light Brigade Project. She has a unique and inspiring story of recovery, and she is committed to helping students overcome adversity and find constructive ways to balance their mental health. Ms. Bullard has experienced numerous occasions when her students have said “Thank You” for helping them, not only with their studies, but advice.

During her first couple of years of teaching, Ms. Bullard had a student, a very shy junior who we'll call "John." His academic level was amazingly high, but he was quiet and didn't contribute anything to discussions. During one discussion, the topic turned to abusive situations. Ms. Bullard revealed to her students that she was a survivor of domestic abuse and that she had to leave a violent marriage.

"They all sat in respectful silence as I revealed the trauma I had experienced," said Bullard. "The next day, John lingered a bit after class and asked to see me. At this point, he began to break down and revealed he was experiencing abuse at home. He asked if I would go with him to the counselor’s office for help. I walked him to the office, sat with him and the counselor until he felt comfortable enough to be left alone with the authorities. Eventually, he was withdrawn from school and sent to live with his grandparents."

"Later, he wrote me an email, and it simply said, 'Thank you so much for being honest and real with your students.' From that day forward, I have always been completely honest with my students regarding my sobriety, recovery and history with abuse," said Bullard. "If I can help one student, I can help more. I will never apologize for being honest with my students, especially if it saves someone."

Ms. Bullard has a heart of gold, and she wants students to find their joy and overcome challenges. She has a stirring ability to make meaningful connections with people and impact them in a positive way that has altered their current course for the better.

Ms. Bullard has served as UIL academic coach, UIL coordinator and UIL director with district, regional and state wins. Ms. Bullard is a great motivator and communicator, and she has boosted achievement for important programs like UIL. One of her main passions is her AP and College Board work. She is an AP rater for the College Board in the subjects of AP Language and AP Literature. She has an 85% pass rate for the AP Language exam, and she continues to advance students to a successful journey on their college and career readiness endeavors. Ms. Bullard is also a National Math and Science (NMSI) AP Presenter. Ms. Bullard travels all over the United States presenting and coaching teachers to help them improve their AP instruction and student scores.

Ms. Bullard continues to engage in valuable professional development experiences. She freely shares her expertise to benefit all stakeholders. Ms. Bullard’s most endearing attribute is her passion for individual students. She cares for her students' academic, emotional, and social abilities, and she goes above and beyond every day to benefit student achievement and success. Her classroom philosophy is “Every student has a voice in his or her future; I would like to help them find that voice.”

"Ms. Bullard is a wonderful person and she is dearly beloved," said Dykman. "She is very deserving to be recognized as a LifeChanger of the Year."